Persecution: A Right Response?
The beatitudes are perhaps the most famous part of the most famous sermon ever preached. Jesus begins the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5 with these pithy and powerful descriptions of what the Christian life looks like (Matthew 5:2-11). They are not prescriptions or a formula that will attain a special blessing from the Lord, as if one could attain God’s mercy conditionally by being merciful in the first place. No, Jesus’ account of what a truly righteous life looks like is a compelling illustration that demonstrates the hope and promise of what awaits (and is experientially available in the present to) those who already mourn, who already are peacemakers, are pure in heart, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, etc. They are bearing the fruit of what God has done already and is still at work doing in them, through regeneration, justification, and the process of sanctification (Romans 8:29-30).
Perhaps the most arresting description is the last one. In verses 10 and 11 Jesus tells the crowd, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” If you are like me, when I read the beatitudes I’m all-in for wanting to be merciful, a peacemaker, to be more content and meek, embracing my station in life and recognizing my own poverty of spirit. Sign me up. But finding the blessing in persecution? Signing up to be reviled and slandered? Well, that’s another thing.
It’s important to note that Jesus does NOT say blessed are those, or blessed are you, whenever you are persecuted for any reason. Too often we jump to the conclusion that any suffering, trial, or hardship atomically must have a spiritual warfare component or element to it. Maybe it does, but we need to be careful to observe how Jesus qualifies the description. Blessed are those who are persecuted “for righteousness sake” and “utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Sometimes we may be suffering or persecuted for our own sake, stupidity, or unrighteousness. The gospel will offend, we don’t need to add to it. And the church over the past two thousand years continues to see real persecution of the name of Christ. But not all who claim persecution are indeed suffering for the cause of Christ. Sometimes it’s our own pride or unfulfilled ambition we feel and experience deprivation.
What I find truly astounding, and counter intuitive, is that Jesus tells us that our response when we find ourselves reviled, humiliated, marginalized, or slandered falsely ought to be one of joy. He says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (v.12) Rejoice? Gladness? When I am persecuted I want to be defensive or incredulous. I want to retaliate. But that is not a cross-shaped life. Oh, yes we are called to defend the cause and glory of Christ, but why and how would Jesus tell us to be glad and rejoice? Shouldn’t he tell us to simply endure and get through it best we can?
It’s not that we are to find joy in the persecution itself. We are not masochistic. It is because Jesus is pointing out that if we are reviled for the cause of Christ, it means the world is recognizing something of our Lord Jesus himself in us. And if there is something of Jesus in us, that is a wonderful fruit of the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ in us! Luke records for us in Acts 5:40-41 that “when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Think of that. The apostles didn’t retreat. They didn’t hang their head or cry foul. They understood what we sometimes forget. That since the world persecuted and hated our Lord, it’s going to do the same to us. They recognized that it was their association and union with Christ that got them arrested and beaten. To them it was confirmation of God’s work in them, not a sign of his abandoning them (like we may rush to judgment to think). They knew when the world does revile us, that’s quite probably fruit of our union with Christ. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own” but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)
That’s why we rejoice. Because we are in Christ! And because we are in Christ we have the assurance that he will complete his good work in and through us. Our future is secure. Our hope is in heaven. As Jesus says in the sermon on the mount ,”Your reward is great in heaven.” Don’t live for temporary cheers and applause that won’t last. Don't merely lament when we face the anger and disgust of the world. Let’s rejoice and be glad, because of Jesus Christ our Lord and savior! And because of His life, His death, and His resurrection the best is yet to come. Paul told us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
